This invention relates to a wireless communication processor (WCP) system that includes two or more of such WCPs for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and control commands among one or more host units, such as computers, printers, or personal communicators on a time division basis; each WCP is either connected to or embedded in a host unit. These WCPs include: means for receiving and storing, in WCP memory, data and control commands from a host unit connected to a WCP; means for storing and transmitting data and control commands to a host unit connected to the WCP; a data and control processing system that is connected to the memory means that communicate with the host unit and to means for wireless transmission and receipt of data and control commands; means for storing data and control commands for transmission to one or more other WCPs connected to other host units; means for transmitting data and control commands wirelessly to one or more other WCPs; and means for receiving and storing data and control commands received wirelessly from one or more other WCPs.
In all embodiments, the invention also comprises a plurality of host units such as computers, printers, personal digital assistants, personal communicators and display devices, each including a WCP wherein at least one of the WCPs is a Master Controller (WCP MC) for the entire system. One or more of the WCPs wirelessly communicates data or control commands, or both, to or among one or more of the other WCPs, and the host units attached to them, under control of the data and control processing system in each of the WCPs. The data and control processing system includes means for receiving data and control commands from a host and for transmitting data and control commands to host units through memory buffers. The system also includes means for changing: the default data length of a frame and a default destination for use in a pass through mode; WCP unit addresses; WCP user codes; WCP local codes; WCP broadcast group address; and WCP transmission baud rates; WCP RF channel numbers (corresponding to a data channel frequency band) consisting of one primary carrier and zero or more secondary carriers (subchannels). The secondary carrier is used as a dedicated subchannel by which point to point communication is established without the usual overhead associated with the primary carrier communication. In this way true multipoint to multipoint communication can be accomplished by the use of the primary carrier coincident with the use of one or more secondary carriers.
Importantly, the system includes means for changing the operation mode of any WCP in the system from input or output mode to output or input mode, depending on the host it's connected to.
Each WCP in the system also includes: means for sending broadcast data to another WCP and means for transferring control command to another WCP to create a communication link between that WCP and one or more other WCPs. Each WCP includes means for selecting or de-selecting itself to be master controller of one or more other WCPs. Each WCP includes means to check received data and control commands for proper format, proper address and proper system access, and then to transmit the data and control commands to a connected host unit.
Each WCP in the system also includes means to establish a transmission link with one or more other WCPs, or to terminate such a link via the primary carrier. Each WCP also includes means to set up a communication link on a subchannel with any other WCP in the system that is not currently involved in primary link communication. Each WCP includes means for transmitting communication link setup commands to one or more other WCPs for thereafter transmitting one or more frames of data or control commands to the one or more other WCPs, and finally for terminating the link. A WCP acting as master controller transmits control commands to other WCPs to establish and control communication links between two or more other WCPs.
The system also includes means for monitoring the master controller WCP's activities, means for detecting headers on data and control commands received from other WCPs and associated host units, means for storing data or control commands in input buffers for an associated host unit, and means for sending data or control commands to a host unit associated with a WCP.